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hyperv6

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Everything posted by hyperv6

  1. As far as I am concerned they could have left it off my SLT2 as I use the mirrors and never look at it. As far as I am concerned if you can't back up without a camera you should not be on the road. But with that said you and I are in the minority on this and the feature sells a lot of vehicles to all the women who love these vehicles and have to have said camera to drive for them [some men too]. I see it often on the Forum that many were swayed to the GMC because of the standard camera. But we also have to factor two other items here. First off the camera adds little to the cost of the vehicle in the volume GM buys them and they make more money on more sales. Second the camera will be a feature that will be required soon on all cars. The Obama admin is pushing for the transportations department to make this a required safety feature. This is also why there are small screens for radio's in cars like the Sonic and Spark as GM knows they will have to add the Camera in just a couple years. This is the problem today vs the past. In days of old people were just happy to have 4 tires and a steering wheel. People were just glad to not have to walk anymore and after the depression they learned to do without. Today people in out country have not had to learn to do with out and want it all. Kids want what their parents took 35 years to earn right out of high school. Yuppies on down what houses like on MTV Cribs. Even now just look at the entitlement issue world wide. Many expect the goverment to do what they had to earn in the past or make do without. Also there are many of us who wish we could pick and choose what we want in a car and not have packages but there it goes again to cost effective production and profitability of the car once it is built. Also with imports it is much easier to built them alike in 3 levels and just change the colors. This is a factor more and more since every company imports cars anymore. The fact is you can decontent a car and for the most the prices will remain much as they are. The trick is to get you to pay more for the car at the dealer to benefit the dealer and the company. Anyways just to make it simple times have changed, people have changed, regulations have changed and economies have changed. This are not all that cut and dry as it was in the day of the Delray or BIscayne. That is another factor too. Today there are so many models and in the past you had one model with 3-4 named trim levels. In the past if you could not afford the Impala you bought the Biscayne or Del Ray. Today if you can't afford the Impala you buy the Malibu, Cruze, Sonic or Spark. Then you adjust the trim levels once you strick upon the model. Even strippers vehivcles are difficult to pawn off on fleet sales any more. One company will offer a better optioned car for the same money as a stripper from another just to get the sale. I wish it was as simple as it once was but it's not. By the way the self parking is the greatest joke I have ever seen from the car industry. I am proud to see GM keep away from it so far.
  2. Well there are more things in play when you consider what is put in cars. Things like larger wheels are not just for the cool factor but with the side crash standards pushing the sides of the cars larger the larger wheels are to down play the thick sides and tall noses now required. Many of these new sound systems are looking to not only play to the youth market but now they are looking to them to remove weight. Some in the industry are looking to make it where your NAV, sound and music will all be taken from your smar phone. This will remove much in the dash other than a box to interphase the amp and speakers with your phone. This is a little off but it is being considered more and more with nearly everyone gettring smart phones. Kind of a modern radio delete option LOL. Also we need to consider that in the past people would start with the lowest model and add options thill they run out of money. Today people start with the top model and move down till the payment matches what they can afford. People today are greedy. Some just want to make the rich greedy but nearly all of us have a high degree of greed and envy anymore and this is reflected in our buying habits. New phone comes out or video game people will stand in line and fight for it and over pay to boot. Finally car companies make money and more money the more optioned cars are. They have little interest in making stripper cars that would often be left on the lot and even when they sell it little profit is seen. One last thing is even in the base segments the cars with the most options like a Nox LS will be purchased over many other models at a similar price as they are pretty well optioned even at the entry level. On the Nox Terrain forum many people purchased the Nox just because it offered things at a lower price and was precieved as the better value. This has brought in many buyers from other makers just because of this value. Brand Loyalty is not it once was and people buy based on precieved value and quality. GM is still earning the Quality end but they market the value end with great prices and as many options posible, As for Mylink. I have now had the GMC verision since April and while I am not a big tech kind of guy I do like it. The system is easy to use and learn. Just with voice and a couple buttons on the steering wheel it works smooth and easy. As time goes on these systems will be more and more refined and with free firmware updates things on older systems will improve and adapt to new phones and other items. I do think the CUE went too far on the tech side out of the box. I expect like I drive they will refine it and in this case it will come much faster than BMW did it.
  3. Here is what I see. The Alpha will replace the VF at some point as Holden will down size their RWD sedan to better fit the world market. The Omega will be left to handle the larger lower volume needs. GM did not sink this much time and money into the Alpha for a couple Cadillacs and a Camaro. The new Camaro will be much smaller and redesigned to be more useful. While the show car looks are cool they do make you pay a price in many areas of usefullness and visibility. The new Camaro will play well with the Mustang but also show appeal to the growing Asian RWD coupe market. If GM ignores this segment they will pay the price later. I also expect the next Camaro will find it's way into the Holden line up as will other Chevys like the Impala. What you see in Chevy will also be mirrored in the Holden line up less just a few models and options. Holden and Chevy will be 88% alike in most ways. LHD and a lion head will be some of the greatest differences. The Regal is a very nice car but it is getting older and will be replaced soon. Now a better sized car with similar styling and RWD would have a great appeal in this segment. Again I still hope people here will grasp even if they use the old names these cars will be much different vs the old GN and GNX. This is not the second coming of the muscle car but the coming of a breed of Buick that can play on the world market not just on Woodward ave. Mark is a smart guy and knows GM pretty well has the FWD line up set but he knows there is ground to gain with RWD and lets not forget the Alpha can also go AWD for those who demand it. The Alpha is the more flexible platform that the Zeta just never fully became due to the lack of development money. Money can really make a difference in automakers getting what they want not just what they can afford.
  4. Well GM has to use the Alpha for more than just three models and Buick should easily find their own space for one. The new larger CTS is key in telling how large this car can go. Also the Regal was just a fast patch to a bare line up. That is why the Verano is so close as they know they would replace the Regal with a slightly larger vehicle. Also this could give Opel a boost in Europe as it needs to move away from the Chevy line up. A sedan is a give. I would suspect Buick may see the coupe in a Riv. As for the wagon not going to happen. Wagon sales are still too soft for all that keep trying. Now they could offer one in Europe and sell enough there. The key here is it is ok to use the GSX name but we all need to forget the idea this car as being a second coming of the muscle car. I suspect this car will be more aimed as an RWD A4 like sedan. I see this car being nicley optioned and coming in around $40,000+. I sure I may be wrong but I would be suprised if they do offer the V8 and if they do it will be very limited. One does not want to step on the CTS V ground with this car. If they do a V8 it will be with much less power. I could see the Lacrosse getting a make over and turning into the XTS of Buick and in time being replaced. That is my guess but it will be fun to watch and see what happens. There is so much that will happen at Buick and so little info being leaked.
  5. I am not too suprised here as I see the Alpha had to have been going to Buick in some degree. I would not lament the coupe as I suspect a Riv is in the works at some point too. The Sedan will take care of the majority of the sales and the coupe will fill in a little more. Might also note the first coupe will be the Camaro in 2015 on the Alpha so a coupe would come along later too. Time will tell if there is anything to this but generally I suspect there is and may be more than we think. We have yet to see the rebirth of Buick yet as all they have now are pre chapter 11 cars. I suspect there will be more than one suprise at Buick in the future.
  6. If it were not for the love of some and the fact some of the lesser models are left in the garages of older folks who leave them in good condition we would have lost many cars. I always find it nice to find a non SS 4 door hard top Chevelle at a car show or a non GTO Lemans in good condition. Years from now kids will think the SS was the normal Chevelle on the street back in the 60's. When I was working at a gas station when I was in School we used to get many of these older customers in cars that you would rarely see. I had one older lady in a base Lemans with a OHC six. Another customer with a 61 Sedan Deville with only 7,000 miles. The one I treasured was the 65 Riv GS with the factory duel quad that had less than 12,000 miles. I am sad to say the Buick was crashed in the 90's by his son after he passed and it left sitting in a yard to rot and even after many attempts of my buddy will not part with the car. It is just a case where this guy would rather let this thing rot than see it saved. It would not take much to fix it now but in another 5-10 years sitting were it is the car will become a parts car. I see what cars that are worth restoring from the 80's will be very difficult to restore. The great amounts of plastic in the cars and how it falls appart will make many parts hard to replace. The guys working on Fiero's now are having a difficult time finding the skeletons under the console that holds everything together. Nearly all are broken. Same on t top gaskests as some nos gasket sets now sell for more than some cars are worth. Other than Corvettes, F bodies and Mustangs I see little repo items being made and the lack of NOS part driving prices even higer with demand.
  7. I agree the Malibu and Impala need a little size adjustment to match others in the maket. The Epsilon II just needs a little more length but it needs more width. The Malibu needs just a little more lenght. Overall both cars need more size between them. The Cruze is fine but the Malibu is too close in size.
  8. The problem is with the way cars are built today it is cheaper to build them with more things vs building a lower number with less things. As crazy as it sounds in the big picture it is hard to build a cheap stipper car unless you have enough buyers willing to take large numbers. Today if someone is trying to save money they will buy a pick up or a Sonic. They will get the options and save money with size in cars.
  9. It has gotten to the point with many cars anymore that it is cheaper to spend more on a better car and restore it or just get a fully restored car unless you can do the work all yourself. Also on many cars anymore some parts are near impossible to find or afford. The Pontiac site I go on has often people restoring cars that spend much more than the car will ever be worth. Unless it is a car that the owner has owned all his life or if it has been in the family all these years they would often be better off finding a car for just a little more money and spend much less restoring. Even doing all the work yourself can get expensive. My buddy restored a 67 400 Firebird with all new sheet metal etc. He did all the work himself and just barely got what he had in it when he sold it. This was years ago when prices were even higher. He paid $1000 for the car and said he should have just used it for parts looking back. He is doing a 68 GTO now and started with a much better car to save money in the long run. Just comes down to how much a car is worth to the guy buying it and how hard it is to find another. Some times some cars are so rare you have to take what you can find.
  10. The new Malibu is slow to grow on me. We even have a 08 and the rear leg room is so much more. I hate to say it but if the new Malibu is to be the new volume car GM had better jump on it now for a remake. I suspect when most of this car was done it would have been a class leader but much of this project sat on the shelf as GM calls it till it was reactivated after the bail out. In the mean time everyone else moved on. A fast redo like Honda just did on their car is in order. Not sure how much GM could add to the car to make a little more leg room.
  11. Ford still uses Blue with white and chrome. Ferrari has color as well as the hand painted Porsche details. There are still some color out there. I remember the old Tri Shield badges getting broken in the 60's on my Great Uncles 225's [he bought a new one every year]. I think he lost two of them on different years. They were very detailed back then and jeweled like.
  12. In a way it is sad this kind of car is gone even though no one outside of taxi fleets bought them.
  13. They already have stated so. They expect the volume car to be the Malibu now.
  14. Too hard to judge from this photo. The things you can't see are the things I would worry about. Fenders and quarters look to have rot but the rockers look good. I wonder how the frame and floor is.
  15. My only meaing of what I said here was to indicate most people today would not remember the same thing I also forgot from years ago. Some of us have lives and do forget some things over time. Don't make this into something it is not. If you want to argue find someone else in another thread . I do support a open view on new models but that does not mean I always like what I see or think should happen. When we do discuss new model my thoughts are what will sell and what will make a profit to keep GM alive. I look at new models not so much as what I want but what the market wants. It is all about making money, those who do live those who done. go bankrupt.
  16. I suspect this will be a remake along the lines like the one at Cadillac. It would be nice to see a major change but I will not be suprised if they just take what they have and make it more modern. Changing a logo is difficult as there is a lot of brand equity with a symbole but when you want to express that your product is all new this is a good way to do it. I just hope they don't drop the ball like they did at Olds with the logo change they did. Not only was it too late but that one just never worked. Too many people just did not identify with it. The one thing I do request is that if they are going to add color make sure the emblem will hold up unlike the Chevy bow ties that look like hell in 3 years of auto car washes. The soap eats them up Nothing worse than a emblem that looks like hell on a car that is not that old. It says a lot about your product. I think the change will be connected to many all new post chapeter 11 Buick that will be fitting of the Change. We have yet to see a full clean sheet of paper car from Buick post Chapter 11 yet ala like the ATS and new CTS at Cadilac. We know so little of what Buick is doing it should prove to be interesting once they get the new product in play. The present cars have show the ideas but not the full direction yet.
  17. If you really need to know it has been a long time since I cared thought about the "Conquista" since they have not made the El Camino for so many years. I have much more important things to worry about of late. Mother in the Hospital with heart issues, Basket Ball practice, Christmas shopping, 16 Trillion dollar debts and the implosion in the middle east, JR is really dead now. Sorry I am easily distracted. I find asking why someone brings in the average person perspective to the conversation on new vehicles, products and features very telling. So you want to know why I speak for the Average customer? Because too often in our conversations here too many tend to forget about the majority average customer and leave them out. . What is more important in building a vehicled for todays market than meeting the expectations and wants of the majority average custmer? Sorry if you do not like the big picture injected but that is the reality of it. The Camary is not the best car on paper but in the eyes of the Average Joe it is everything he wants and needs. Sorry but there is a larger world outside the Autoblog bubble and we need to let it in to keep things real. But that is another story and another battle, in this case my use here was just a simple phrase to express few people really remember the "Conquista" package including many on this site.
  18. Yes that is what I was thinking of but I just confused it with the Diablo trim. Hell it has been how many years since I really cared. Yes it was somewhat common but not well known to the average person today having been left to the dust bins of history.
  19. Ok, I found the packag was the El Camino Conquista. That is the name I was looking for that I remembered. It was a Two Tone package and trim on a El Camino for many years Think of it as like Tahoe trim on a S-10
  20. I know about that one but there also was a graphic package model of the other too. The name was a decal not a emblem and I know what it said. There were few of them and they may have been a one year limited model but I know I have seen the name in use.
  21. I have heard of Conquistador being used many times. Also there were other links on the web also starting the same. Not sure if they are just copying the others but I suspect there is something to it. Also GM did use it on a special graphics package in the 80's too. It was similar tot he black knight package. All I know is I have heard of this long ago before I ever saw it on the web.
  22. I have heard of Conquistador being used many times. Also there were other links on the web also starting the same. Not sure if they are just copying the others but I suspect there is something to it. Also GM did use it on a specail graphics package in the 80 too. It was similar tot he black knight package. All I know is I have heard of this long ago before I ever saw it on the web.
  23. iT Would have to be done for love not profit. It may be better served as being turned into a Rat Rod. The Patina is already what many pay to have done. Many even fake the rust now.
  24. hyperv6

    Cavalier Z24?

    Go back farther and they had 2.8 and 3.1 V6 engines.
  25. Looks like the road to Tijuana.
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